Rack



B. L. THEIM Aug. 17, 1965 FIG.

FIG. 3

INVENTOR. BERTHA L. THEIM United States Patent O 3,200,959 RACK Bertha L. Theirn, 5020 Fremont 5., Minneapolis 19, Minn. Filed Nov. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 326,829 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) The herein disclosed invention relates to racks and has for an object to provide a rack for supporting flat articles, such as folded newspapers, magazines and the like.

Another object of the invention resides in supporting the articles on edge.

A still further object of the invention resides in supporting the articles so that the same may be readily tied up in bundles.

An object of the invention resides in providing the rack with a base carrying a number of uprights and in further providing spaced cross bars carried by said uprights and supporting the articles on edge.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing the rack with two spaced similar frames, each U-shaped in form and having spaced uprights and a base member connecting theuprights" together at their lower ends.

A still further object of the invention resides in attaching the cross bars to the corresponding uprights of each frame.

An object of the invention resides in arranging the cross bars above the base members to form a working space between said cross bars and the base members and within the confines of said frames and through which a cord or Wire may be run and extended about the articles and secured at its ends to make bundles out of the articles.

Another object of the invention resides in making the cross bars flat.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing the cross bars with stops extending upwardly therefrom and intermediate their ends adapted to engage the articles to cause the articles to assume more nearly vertical positions when the rack is not completely full.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel construction and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack illustrating an embodiment of the invention and without articles being disposed thereon.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the rack with a few folded newspapers disposed thereon.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the rack with the same filled with a bundle of newspapers.

The rack illustrated comprises two U-shaped frames 11 and 11 constructed of a metal rod or wire or some similar suitable material. The frame includes two uprights 12 and 13 with a connecting portion 14 therebetween. This portion is straight and connected to the uprights 12 and 13 by bends 15 and the connecting portion 14 serves as a base member for the frame 10.

The frame 11 is similarly constructed to the frame 10 and consists of uprights 16 and 17 with a connecting portion 18 therebetween. The portion 18 is straight and serves as a base member and is connected to the uprights 16 and 17 by means of bends 19. Together the base members 14 and 18 form a base for the rack.

The two frames 11 and 11 are connected together by means of two cross bars 21 and 22 which are relatively fiat and which are welded, brazed, soldered or otherwise secured to the various uprights. Bar 21 is connected to uprights 12 and 16 while bar 22 is connected to the uprights 13 and 17. These cross bars are disposed intermediate the ends of the various uprights to which they are attached and connect the two frames together making a rigid construction of the same.

The uprights 12 and 13 and also the uprights 16 and 17 are spaced apart, a distance less than the length of the articles placed on the rack as can be noted in FIG. 3. The lengths of the cross bars 21 and 22 are sufficient to provide sufficient space between the two frames 10 and 11 to receive and hold the desired number of papers, magazines or other articles intended to be supported on the rack. The arrangement shown provides a clear space indicated by the reference numeral 20 between the uprights of each rack and extending through each frame. The papers or magazines are set on edge on the cross bars 21 and 22 as shown in FIG. 2. To prevent the same from sliding completely over to the opposite frame when mounted as shown in FIG. 2, two stops 23 are provided, one on each cross bar which extends upwardly therefrom and substantially midway of the two frames.

To protect the upper ends of the uprights 12, 13, 16 and 17 rubber caps 24 are attached to the same.

The method of using the invention is as follows: Folded papers 31 have been shown in FIG. 2 as mounted on the cross bars 21 and 22 of frames 10 and 11 and which are positioned with their lowermostends 32 resting upon the cross bars 21 and 22 and with the outermost paper engaging two stops 23. When the first half of the rack is filled with papers, the papers are then deposited in the second half and when a sufiicient number of papers are disposed in the rack the same may be tied together by means of cords 33 and 34. These cords may be extended through the space 20 and about the various papers and tied together at their upper ends as indicated at 35 to form a complete bundle of the papers.

The advantages of the invention are manifest. The device is extremely simple in construction and can be fabricated at a nominal expense. In use, the papers are readily stacked on the rack resting on edge on the cross bars 21 and 22 and held in substantially upright position by means of the stops 23. In bundling the papers, the arm may readily be inserted through the space 20 with th cord and the cord thus conveniently wrapped about all of the papers and tied.

Changes in the specific form of the invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A rack for supporting flat articles such as folded newspapers, magazines or the like, said rack consisting of (a) two spaced U-shaped frames each having spaced uprights and a connecting portion therebetween serving as a base member and (b) spaced cross bars connected to the corresponding uprights of each frame for supporting the articles on edge,

(c) said frames being spaced apart, a distance sufiicient to receive the desired number of articles therebetween,

(d) the uprights of each frame being spaced apart, a predetermined distance to accommodate the article to be supported on the cross bars,

(e) said cross bars being disposed above said base members to provide a clear working space between said base members and the lower edges of the articles when supported on said cross bars to permit of extending a cord through said space and about said articles and of tying said cord to bundle said articles.

2. A rack for supporting flat articles such as folded newspapers, magazines or the like, said rack consisting of (a) a base,

(b) four spaced uprights arranged in quadrilateral relation and carried by said base,

(c) spaced cross bars connected to opposite pairs of said uprights,

(d) each pair of uprights being spaced apart, a predetermined distance to accommodate the article to be carried by said cross bars,

(e) the corresponding uprights of each pair being spaced apart, a'distance sufiicient to receive the desired number of articles on said cross bars,

(i) said cross bars being disposed above said base to provide a clear working space between the lower edges of said articles when supported on said cross bars and said base to permit of extending a cord through said space and about the articles and of tying said cord to bundle said articles.

3. A rack for supporting flat articles such as folded newspapers, magazines or the like, said rack consisting of (a) two spaced U-shaped frames each having spaced uprights and a connecting portion therebetween serving as a base member and (b) fiat cross bars secured to the corresponding uprights of the two frames for supporting the articles on edge,

(c) said frames being spaced apart, a distance sufiicient to receive the desired number of articles therebetween,

(d) the uprights of each frame being spaced apart, a predetermined distance to accommodate the article to be supported on the cross bars,

(e) said cross bars being disposed above said base members to provide a clear working space between said base members and the lower edges of the articles when supported on said cross bars to permit of extending a co rd through said space and about said articles and of tying said cord to bundle said articles.

4. A rack for supporting flat articles such as folded newspapers, magazines or the like, said rack consisting of all (a) two spaced U-shaped frames each having spaced uprights and a connecting portion therebetween serving as a base member and (b) spaced cross bars connected to the corresponding uprights of each frame for supporting the articles on edge,

(c) said frames being spaced apart, a distance sufficient to receive the desired number of articles therebetween,

(d) the uprights. of each frame being spaced apart, a predetermined distance to accommodate the article to be supported on the cross bars,

(e) said cross bars being disposed above said base member to provide a clear working space between said base members and the lower edges of the articles when supported on said cross bars to permit of extending a cord through said space and about said articles and of tying said cord to bundle said articles, and

(f) stops extending upwardly from said cross bars and engageable with the lower ends of said articles to prevent sliding of the articles to the opposite uprights.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 141,779 7/45 Greene D4--3 D. 159,165 6/50 Rippe D9 D. 168,445 12/52 Gleed D332 1,714,308 5/29 Gunderson 141-390 2,558,611 6/51 Emmart 21174 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

2. A RACK FOR SUPPORTING FLAT ARTICLES SUCH AS FOLDED NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES OR THE LIKE, SAID RACK CONSISTING OF (A) A BASE, (B) FOUR SPACED UPRIGHTS ARRANGED IN QUADRILATERAL RELATION AND CARRIED BY SAID BASE, (C) SPACED CROSS BARS CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE PAIRS OF SAID UPRIGHTS, (D) EACH PAIR OF UPRIGHTS BEING SPACED APART, A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE TO ACCOMMODATE THE ARTICLE TO BE CARRIED BY SAID CROSS BARS, (E) THE CORRESPONDING UPRIGHTS OF EACH PAIR BEING SPACED APART, A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO RECEIVE THE DESIRED NUMBER OF ARTICLES ON SAID CROSS BARS, (F) SAID CROSS BARS BEING DISPOSED ABOVE SAID BASE TO PROVIDE A CLEAR WORKING SPACE BETWEEN THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID ARTICLES WHEN SUPPORTED ON SAID CROSS BARS AND SAID BASE TO PERMIT OF EXTENDING A CORD THROUGH SAID SPACE AND ABOUT THE ARTICLES AND OF TYING SAID CORD TO BUNDLE SAID ARTICLES. 